Monday, 14 September 2009

November 5th 2009 - Plans

As my readers will know, November 5th is a special day in Old Holborn's world. It celebrates not only the untimely demise of Guido Fawkes and the gunpowder plot, but acknowledges The Only Man Ever To Enter Parliament With Honest Intentions.

I'd like to celebrate again this year. So I will be walking at 12 Noon on Thursday November 5th from Trafalgar Square to Parliament. All are free to join me as I courteously hand a Carson Rose into Downing Street and then gain access to the Public Gallery of the House of Commons, where we can watch our paid representatives engage in lively debate about how to tax us, fleece us and subjugate us to their whims.

I shall be dressed in my usual attire, please feel free to dress however you wish but special invites go out to anyone who wishes to wear a pig costume for the day. It would give me great pleasure to herd a few noisy pigs and Guy Fawkes's into the Public Gallery to face their MPs.

This is not a protest. This is a walk in the Autumn sunshine to watch our elected representatives at work. You are entitled by law, to walk with me, without hindrance.

UK residents and overseas visitors may watch debates for free on current issues or proposed new laws in both Houses by visiting the public galleries.

The galleries are open to the public when the Houses are sitting (meeting), which is from Monday to Thursday and on Sitting Fridays, with differing times for each House. The galleries are not open during recess, when neither House is sitting.Question Time

In both Houses, the busiest time is during Question Time. In the Commons it is Prime Minister's Question Time. Free tickets are necessary to ensure entrance, and are only issued to UK residents who contact your MP or a Lord to request them. Overseas visitors and UK residents without tickets can queue but will only gain entrance if there is space after ticket-holders.Other debates

Tickets are not required at other periods and there is a public queue for both UK residents and foreign visitors - outside St Stephen's entrance. A wait of one or two hours is common (although it's usually less for the House of Lords).

rather belatedly i realise i am booked off work with not much to do that week so i may well join. the only thing is, is it mandatory/advisable to wear a mask? i object to having to wear a mask to exercise my rights, and, more importantly, have probably left it too late to aquire one...

Liberty have a very handy anti S44 sheet, explaining what you have to do and more importantly what you don't have to do. It helpfully doubles a complaint sheet, should you feel the need to register one following any unwarranted treatment.

To be governed is to be watched, inspected, spied upon, directed, law-driven, numbered, regulated, enrolled, indoctrinated, preached at, controlled, checked, estimated, valued, censured, commanded, by creatures who have neither the right nor the wisdom nor the virtue to do so. To be governed is to be at every operation, at every transaction noted, registered, counted, taxed, stamped, measured, numbered, assessed, licensed, authorized, admonished, prevented, forbidden, reformed, corrected, punished. It is, under pretext of public utility, and in the name of the general interest, to be placed under contribution, drilled, fleeced, exploited, monopolized, extorted from, squeezed, hoaxed, robbed; then, at the slightest resistance, the first word of complaint, to be repressed, fined, vilified, harassed, hunted down, abused, clubbed, disarmed, bound, choked, imprisoned, judged, condemned, shot, deported, sacrificed, sold, betrayed; and to crown all, mocked, ridiculed, derided, outraged, dishonoured. That is government; that is it's justice; that is its morality.